Shukusen
by Daine's Twin
Summary: And that night, when the king knighted him, Neal wore Yuki's delicate, deadly Shukusen in his belt. R&R ONESHOT


**A/N- I did not research before writing this. I have, for the sake of writing this, pretended that Yamani weddings are extremely elaborate and that very little of that was part of Roald and Shinko's actual wedding.**

**17/06/2006- I went back and changed some of the little mistakes with the spelling and punctuation.**

** Idid something wrong and deleted all of my reviews!  
**

**Disclaimer: If I really owned these characters do you really think that I would share them with you?**

**Shukusen**

"...and he was named Mirthros, the God of..." the words of the storyteller faded into the background as two sets of eyes met. They had been sneaking glances at each other all day, more often as their time grew short. They had argued and joked, anything to keep their minds off the coming night and the outcomes it may have.

Neither one of them was quite game to voice what they knew they should. In fact, many years later, when they had both passed into the Black God's realm no one could ever remember if there had ever been a formal conversation, it was another one of their little jokes that only they understood.

"Thank you. For coming out today. I know that you should really be working on... well wedding stuff for the princess." Neal knew that he probably sounded like a complete dolt, but their eyes were still connected and it was just so damn hard to concentrate! It was like she could see everything and she didn't even care about the power that gave her.

Her lips curved into a small smile,"I'm not really needed with the planning, the wedding is going to be much more Tortallan than my lady had been expecting, so she is brushing up, i think that that is what you say?" Neal smiled and nodded,"on her ... well, what she must do in the wedding."

"I thought that the wedding was going to be very Yamani? The engagement has been as much as the monarchs could make it."

"No, not really. Yamani weddings have much more ceremony involved. The rings for example are not exchanged until the wedding day, there are other symbols to show that a couple are to be wed, but of course my mistress is very grateful to her new family for letting her have the small reminders from home. I think that it helps her not feel so homesick. It has been one," she looked down and blushed," of the things that has helped me." Neal understood that he was another.

"So if a Yamani girl were to get engaged how would she show the world that she was betrothed?" His eyes were intense with out him realising it and Yukimi felt something she never had before. It was an amazing feeling that blocked out all but him.

"She would give him her fan, her _shukusen,_ to wear on his belt. It would show the world that he would protect her and care for her and that she herself was happy with the match, not all brides to be give their future husbands this gift."

"Will you show me?" His eyes were hopeful and every fibre of her body wanted her to scream 'yes', but her Yamani training helped her to hide this. She smiled her unique and mischievous smile and replied," I may do so. When we have more time."

"Neal! Yuki! Come on, the sun is setting!"Kels words did not ruin the moment, only emphasised their need to be together for longer. Forever. They hurried up the hill to the palace, beads forming on their foreheads. When it came time for the women to leave Neal to face whatever may lay ahead for him he hugged them Kel long and hard, as a best friend who has never really appreciated the close bond they had, he then took Yuki's hand in his own and kissed it, " We will have time, I promise."

&&&

_The blood and pain surrounded him. His friends his family, the brothers he had already lost, were dying around him. He was helpless, his magic was gone and he was unable to move and he could not speak or he would fail his ordeal. _

_Then he saw her, her belly was round, but her skin was pale. She was bleeding and the blood would not stop. She looked up into his eyes, her own were filled with pain, "You promised me and now you shall never have _us_." Yuki stroked her obviously pregnant stomach and breathed out her last breath. _

_Neal lay there weeping in silence. The chamber had much more to throw at him, but he barely acknowledged it at the time, though the images would haunt his dreams for many years to come. It had been so real, he was sure now that feelings that had been swelling inside of him were not a just passing fancy._

_  
He wanted to die. _

Slowly light filled the small stone chamber as the door creaked open, but Neal's world still seemed in darkness. He rose to his feet and stumbled out into the chapel. He felt his knight mistress wrap a blanket around his sweat-soaked form and turn him towards the door. He slowly staggered onwards when a flash of metal caught his eye. He halted and turned in its direction. There sat Kel with Yuki, both looking very apprehensively at him. It had been Yuki's _shukusen _that had caught his eye. Hewas too exhausted to show his shock and relief. Instead he looked at Yuki, a question that only they could read in his eyes.

"_I kept my promise, will you show me now?"_

Silently the Yamani girl looked down and drew her folded fan from her beautifully embroidered obi and held it out to him dull end first. He took it with trembling fingers and only when he had run his fingers over it, as if to confirm that it is real, did he let his knight mistress lead him on.

&&&

For generations to come it was a tradition for the Queenscove men to wear a _shukusen _in heir belt when they became engaged. After a while not many knew why, all that they did know was that there was something undeniably romantic about the battered old fan with its faded silk and its razor sharp edges.

**Thank you for reading. Please review!**

**DT**


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